Just another thought

Today I spoke with Kim Sigurdson, president of the ACC, and he told me, among other things, that his proposed creosote disposal facility did not burn railway ties it "processed" them. He then went on to explain how the gasification process works and told me that, as he said again and again at the forum, the facility would produce as "much emissions as a wood stove."

He told me to be a "good journalist" I had to understand the difference between burning and processing ties. I intend to be a good journalist, by being objective, not by inputting his words into my article.

In my opinion, his proposed green solution to the creosote soaked railway tie problem is impossible. I have been taught in science for as long as I can remember that for every chemical action, there is a reaction the produces some form of product equivalent to the action.

Is Sigurdson trying to tell me that he has found a way around this basic scientific equation?

While scientific innovations are discovered all the time, splitting the atom didn't work out according to plan at first, and perhaps the bottom line is Kamloops doesn't have to volunteer to be the testing ground.

Social media and politics

If the creosote burning controversy was a battleground then the warriors were the protesting Kamloopsians, ACC’s president Kim Sigurdson, MLAs Terry Lake and Kevin Krueger and facebook.

If facebook was a country then it would be the fourth largest based on population, says a short statistics video about the Social Media Revolution.

Facebook has become both a tool to be informed and also a weapon.

Bryce Eberle, admin of the facebook group “Opposed to Creosote Burning in Kamloops,” said that gathering people to rally against the creosote burning facility could largely be attributed to networking on facebook.

“Facebook had a lot to do with it because it was a free media,” Eberle said. “It’s by the people and for the people and they can look up [information]; that’s the beauty of it, the information is there only if they want it, it’s not forced on them.”

“The true media behind this is the Internet, and then you can get the truth from both sides and interpret it the way you want,” Eberle said.

Eberle explained that it was a group of him and his friends who looked at the creosote burning situation and figured something wasn’t quite right there. As they looked into it they realized through networking a lot of people felt the same and thus the facebook group began soon gaining over 1,900 members.

“Social media is a way of touching people and bringing more energy to a cause,” Lake said, agreeing that facebook played a role in how protesting Kamloopsians were rallied together. “Social media will rally people in a way that hasn’t been seen before.”

However Lake said that this comes at a cost. It is too easy for people to find all this information that incorrectly informs them or is bias one way or another as what happened with the creosote burning facility. It took too long for the public consultation and by that time the opposition was set in their outlooks.

“Social media is a powerful source but we have to train ourselves to be critical thinkers,” Lake said.

Facebook can be informing and also deadly as Bill McQuarrie, Interior Science and Innovation Council executive director, realized when a women wrote on facebook that the B.C. Liberal government was planning to help move the plant elsewhere under his account, reported the Kamloops Daily news in the article “Facebook Fiasco.”

Anyone could potentially sign up to a social media site under a politician’s name, look up their information on Wikipedia, input it into their profile, upload a profile picture from google image search and potentially tarnish their good name.

Politics and social media mix together like oil and water: you can shake them up in the same bottle and it may appear they’re getting along but as they settle, they each have their own agenda.

We live in a desert

This seems to surprise the people who persist every summer by watering their grass to keep it green and washing their cars.

Down the road from my house is the most beautiful garden I have ever seen in Kamloops. Why? Because it incorporates the climate we live in by having a rocky sand look to it: a garden that does not need watering.

My point?

Water meters might be the answer we are looking for. An article in the Kamloops Daily News “City OKs plan for water meters,” outlines how the city council decided in a majority vote to enforce water meters.

Mayor Peter Milobar said it was the most definitive vote to a decades-old controversial issue.

As a result there is a posting also on Kamloops about how democracy is dead because city council overthrew a referendum against water meters. But essentially this is what democracy is. The people vote in who they want to represent them and the councilors decide what is best for the people.

What is best for the people in water conservation.

Has no one noticed how scary low the river is this year?

The blog “Welcome to your Kamloops” presents a post called Water meters 101 which discusses Kamloops high water consumption rates.

Water meters are necessary in the desert where people want their cars clean and their lawns green.

Congratulations Kamloops

Protesters opposing the creosote burning plant obtained their victory on Thursday night when the ACC announced they would proceed elsewhere.

“We heard what the people were saying, and we decided to follow through and find another location,” Kim Sigurdson, ACC president, was quoted saying in an article by the Kamloops Daily News.

The ‘Opposed to Creosote Burning in Kamloops’ facebook page is celebrating.

“Whoever said that the people don't have the power haven't come to Kamloops, because we proved a lot of people wrong,” Bryce Eberle, the facebook page’s admin, sent out over the page.

A new standard has been set in Kamloops.

The people have spoken and they have said that they want to know what is going on the community and corporations can’t act without informing.

Just a thought - editorial

What if this gasification plant is a green solution and it never gets a chance to prove that because too many people are being so closed minded and set in their opinions?

I am not suggesting that this is a good thing for the environment or Kamloops, however what if it holds the key to unlocking other green solutions as experts study its impact?

Two hours into the public forum last night it felt like it wasn't going anywhere: both sides were talking to a brick wall.

Why would the ministry of environment be lying about it not being a health hazard? What do they have to gain from having a creosote burning plant here in Kamloops?

Kamloops the Week recently published a letter to the editor from Barry Penner, who stands by the decision to issue the permit and reminds Kamloopsians that it was not his personal choice. The decision was made by a council, some of who live here in town.

Creosote forum fills TRU's Grand Hall

I wondered how Kim Sigurdson felt sitting in front of approximately 500 people who wanted him to fail.

Sigurdson was one of the anticipated guests at the public forum that discussed his company's, the Aboriginal Cogeneration Corporation, plans to build a gasification plant to burn creosote-soaked railroad ties in Kamloops.

The forum was hosted in response to the public's outcry against the plant. The forum began with Sigurdson giving a short speech about what his plans for Kamloops were, followed by a representative from the Ministry of Environment discussing the process the ACC had to follow to obtain an air discharge permit.

Sigurdson said that he knew there was a problem and that problem was that these railroad ties needed to go somewhere.

"We went out and got this technology," he said, explaining how he and his wife "thought we could solve this big problem."

Sigurdson explained that he believes himself and his wife to be environmentalists and they wanted to find a green solution but they were also trying to run a small business. He was sending a message to Kamloopsians that he wanted a green solution as much as they did.

When the question was raised: why in Kamloops? Sigurdsun replied that it was the best situation for the plant to be able to efficiently process the most amount of ties due to its proximity to the rail system.

Also, "this is also a place with a lot of people... and we could employ these people," Sigurdson said, much to the distaste of the crowd who jeered and booed at this notion until the moderator told them not to interrupt.

In response to the environmental concerns Sigurdson said "its emissions that come out are less than a wood stove." A statement he would repeat several times throughout the night when the question of pollution arose.

After wards the Ralph Adams, the representation from the Ministry of Environment and air health expert, took the stand. "The role of the ministry of environment is not to lobby or speak on behalf of the ACC," he began before outlining the process the ACC had to undergo obtaining their permit.

Since the ACC was able to pass the two necessary tests, that it meets emissions and health standards, the MOE did not have the authority to deny the permit, the representative explained.

After both had spoken the night was left for questions: alternating between the two lines of people at the microphones and written questions the moderator read out.

The most powerful question of the evening brought nearly the entire crowd to their feet with applause when Nina Johnson, a TRU professor, introduced her two children, six and four years-old, and asked how her children could be subjected to being guinea pigs without their mother's consent.

Kamloops this Week interviews creosote burning facility’s head honcho

In an interview with Aboriginal Cogeneration Corporation President Kim Sigurdson, Kamloops this Week asked why. Sigurdson responses were often vague and shuffled the blame on to others and doubted the ability of Kamloopsians to keep a gasification facility from their community.

At one point KTW asked why the people were not consulted sooner, to which ACC replied that it was a mistake. I figured at this point Sigurdson would mention that the people had a right to know and question what went on in their community, but instead he said that an information package was sent to the city but, "Somebody [at the city] there either lost or misplaced the package."

The information that was sent to Kamloops was apparently sent at the same time the request for a permit was sent out. Perhaps this is true and some silly secretary put the information in her junk mail folder or the paper shredder, but shouldn't there have been some form of follow up on such a big issue?

"Folks at city hall have a hard time believing that we sent it," Sigurdson said. Well of course they do. That information being misplaced would have only benefited the ACC so it is easier to believe that the information was never sent. At this point the ACC figured it was too late for public consultation anyway. But despite that on March 11, there will be a forum held with Sigurdson being present.

The forum will also be a hotspot for protestors opposed to the creosote burning facility. The facebook group: Opposed to creosote burning in Kamloops has an event posted for that day called "Residents for clean air in Kamloops." In which, "The rally will be held on the grounds of TRU as a symbolic rejection of the legitimacy of a Chamber of Commerce forum at TRU showcasing the remarks of the plant's president, Kim Sigurdson."

"Let’s show our dismay towards the ACC's proposal and lack of consideration and peacefully rally for cleaner air in Kamloops, not worse!!" the event explains.

"I hope there’s a lot of people that come inside and want to learn more about what we are and what ACC does," Sigurdson said, acknowledging the protesters at the event.

Despite public opposition Sigurdson concluded the interview relatively confident that Kamloops will see the construction of the gasification plant.

"We have a lot of obstacles, MLAs that seem to be overstepping their bounds," Sigurdson said. But, "I just do not believe that all the people of Kamloops are of the same thought as all these groups like Save Kamloops."

I have to wonder the same thing, the protestors only account for a small proportion of the city... what does the rest of Kamloops really think about this besides what they are being told.

Sun Peaks becomes its own municipality

The votes are in :the majority voted in favor of Sun Peaks becoming a municipality.

It will become the Resort Municipality of Sun Peaks and will be governed by a mayor and four councilors, said the Sun Peaks 2009 Technical Report Update. It will allow the community to devise their own standards, bylaws, policing and zoning regulations. The report also stated that this development will improve services such as road conditions and law enforcement. And the municipality will be able to decide what to do with its own budget.

However, property owners can expect a three per cent increase in their property taxes to cover the additional expenses to have municipality status and services.

In order to start the community off with their restructuring the Ministry of Community and Rural Development has offered the new municipality with a grant of $75,000: $150 for each of the 500 permanent residents.

However, 1,200 people were eligible to vote but only 291 actually did, reported the official results by the Sun Peaks Municipal Incorporation Study. This makes the voter turnout 24 per cent, but despite low a low turnout 73 per cent voted in favor.

Sun Peaks will be the first mountain resort community to be come a municipality since 1996.

The right to be informed

Fishing for news on the Kamloops city hall website I came across a media release inviting members of the community to a public forum on Tuesday, Feb 8. The forum was "for the public to give input to this year's municipal budget and five-year financial plan," the release explained.

The only thing is, I didn't hear about this until two days later and had I not been look on the Internet for news such as this, I fear I would have never known. I'm not blaming anyone in particular, I just feel that this event should be more publicized. Maybe, it was, and I just happened to miss all of it, but then why is this information not being offered to the category I fit into?

It could have been advertised on campus, the radio, word-of-mouth even; talk up an event and it becomes common knowledge.

However, then comes the next problem our society face, would anyone really care?

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. The community could be informed but it doesn't mean they are willing to actually go and ask their questions and hear what the city is planning on doing with their money.

For example, skimming the 2010 - 2014 financial plan, I read that the total revenue is almost $124,000 and yet the total expenditures are almost $115,000. I would have liked to know what is happening with that left over $9,000.

Furthermore, as much as it is the responsibility of city hall to inform the public, it is the public's responsibility to be informed.

This forum could have been the opportunity to get more from this city. Want more parks, just ask. More garbage cans around town? This was the community's chance to have the voice I hear so many complain we don't get.

It's not enough that 1,769 people are opposed to creosote rally on facebook because only a few hundred actually showed up.

The good, the evil and the olympic freebies

Kamloops is attracting national attention but not in the way it wants.

On Feb. 6, the Globe and Mail wrote an article, Mayors split on ethics, and even legalities, of accepting free tickets, about the good and the evil mayors of BC, with Peter Milobar, mayor of Kamloops, representing the dark side for accepting an Olympic package valued at a few thousand dollars.

The package includes: tickets to the opening ceremonies, box seats for a men's hockey game and accommodations in Vancouver.

"Sometimes there are things that only the mayor gets invited to," Milobar said in the article. Well that's good for him, perhaps he became mayor just for these opportunities, as cited in the article it is his responsibility as mayor to attend these corporate events.

Well at least he is getting Kamloops on the map by appearing in the Globe and Mail, but does he really think he can represent Kamloops by attending the events? It is not as if, the cameras will come swooping in on him as the announcer realizes Kamloops is in the house.

Where Milobar thinks this is his right as mayor to receive a few perks now and then, others beg to differ.

In the article, Attending Olympics shows support for a Kamloops company: mayor, Kamloops this week wrote about how Sharon Gaetz, mayor of Chillowack, not only thinks accepting gifts and freebies is morally wrong, it is illegal by violating the Community Charter.

I found the section in the community charter about restrictions on accepting gifts, and it seems that if the gift is for personal gain then the community politician receiving said gift, should not be fit for office. What part of cheering on the home team in a celebration is not about personal gain or enjoyment?